Speed governors for commercial vehicles a must from next year

Come April 1, 2014, speed-controlling devices such as speed governors and electronic control units will be made mandatory for commercial vehicles including public buses.

As per a notification issued by the ministry of road transport and highways, the maximum speed limit will be changed from 65 kmph to 80 kmph for private and public transport vehicles.

The notification, issued by the ministry on December 31, specified that even old transport vehicles need to be fitted with speed governors or limiting devices before April 1, 2014.

In case of vehicles that are already fitted with governors or limiting devices, the speed limit will be revised to 80kmph.

Apart from two and three wheelers, the ministry has also excluded four wheelers that have a gross weight lesser than 3,500 kg including police vehicles, ambulances, fire tenders and other passenger vehicles such as cars from this clause.

“Commercial vehicles with a state permit, national goods permit and all-India tourists’ permit are also excluded,” said an official from the transport department.

This will be the fourth amendment to section 118 of Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989.

Besides Maharashtra, few other states such as Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Punjab have also taken the initiative to make speed governors mandatory for commercial vehicles such as school buses, tankers, buses and dumpers to curb accidents. However, implementation has taken long owing to resistance from transport operators.

In Maharashtra, the transport department had issued a notification on March 13, 2012, making it mandatory for all commercial vehicles including public buses to install speed governors.

For vehicles other than school buses, the department has set February 2013 as deadline to install speed governors.

However, there is still no clarity on whether the department will continue to adhere to this deadline or postpone it to April 2014.

Despite repeated efforts, transport commissioner VN More was not available for comment on the matter.